Scaling up his attack on the students’ stir, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Centre of “speaking lies” over the alleged use of pellet guns on students protesting under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.
Rahul, with pellet gun victim Sahil by his side, claimed that the latter suffered grievous injuries in the police crackdown during the CJP’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20, asserting that pellet guns were used to crush peaceful dissent. Showing his injuries to the press, Rahul said this was “visual proof” of a brazen crackdown on students and demanded that the Centre, rather than deflecting, come clean on the issue.
“The government has been denying that pellets were fired. But here is the proof,” said the Congress MP while lifting the victim’s T‑shirt to show alleged pellet wounds on his face, right arm and upper body. Pellets allegedly hit the 19‑year‑old Sahil during Monday’s protest march and subsequently treated in hospital, having suffered injuries to his eye.
Rahul, intensifying his tirade against the Centre, claimed that pellets were fired at Sahil when he was waving the Tricolour and demanding his rights as a student. “Pellets hit my brother while he was waving the national flag. He cannot see from his right eye as pellets have hit it.
There is uncertainty over whether he will regain his vision,” he told reporters. He said the peaceful protest, despite attempts to crush it, remains steadfast in its goal and purpose. The alleged use of pellet guns during the clampdown has snowballed into a major controversy, with concerns raised about police excesses in quelling the protests.
The firing of pellets, allegedly by Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, has called for deeper scrutiny of the force’s handling of public demonstrations. The force is understood to have initiated a verification exercise into the allegations, with multiple reports pointing to pellet use during the Delhi stir.
Rahul, further speaking to the press, reiterated students’ and the Opposition bloc’s demands, which include removing the Education Minister, taking action against those who inflicted injuries on students, and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, affirming that their demands remain firm and non‑negotiable.
Rallying behind the students, he said they have been on the streets for demands that are rightfully their own, but the government was being “insensitive and intolerant.” Repeating calls for the ouster of the minister, he said: “The man who is responsible for the education system must be sacked. Dharmendra Pradhan is a criminal Education Minister. He must go.”